How I started in sculpture...

When the world was young my 
family moved to Malta for a 
few years. With no TV, my 
mother encouraged us kids 
to draw, on anything, even 
on the white-washed kitchen 
walls if we were good enough.
Then, when I was five I won 
a prize for a horse made out 
of matchsticks and spuds. 

I was on my way. 



Later, back in England, I took Art & Design Foundation at Scarborough Tech 
then studied art at teacher training college in Newcastle. 

  While working as a 
  photographer I 
  experimented with 
  projecting slides 
  of straight lines
  onto a model and
  was struck by the 
  amazing woodgrain 
  effects. 
  When I saw this
  series of photos 
  it hit me. 
  Wood! Try wood. 

  Plaster and chicken
  wire are much easier
  to work with, but as 
  soon as I felt the  
  the warmth of wood
  I became hooked..


      

Some years later, my dog lunged
at a squirrel with such gusto 
that he tore my shoulder.

Unable to manhandle heavy logs
I tried my hand at carving
some lighter materials. 
I started with breeze blocks,
solid plaster, then soapstone.

As my shoulder healed I tried
various types of medium soft
stone such as Serpentine, 
Alabster and Wonderstone, and
became facinated with the marbling
effect and the presence of stone.

Stone has a wonderful feel of 
permanence. It was formed when 
the world was born, and will
still be here when we're all 
long gone.

So, thanks Spike,
   I think ...